216-foot Benetti yacht for John Staluppi
John Staluppi has been called the “James Bond yacht flipper” thanks to his penchant for naming his yachts — all 18 of them — after 007 films. Benetti Yachts in Italy has just announced a purchase order for another Staluppi build, this one a 216-footer. There’s no word yet on the name, but we’re hoping for Spectre, after the newest Bond film.
The new build will have naval architecture by Frank Mulder and exteriors by Giorgio Cassetta Design, working in tandem with the Benetti in-house team. The hull will be steel with an aluminum superstructure. Top speed is expected to surpass 20 knots.
“We are very happy to be building our new yacht with the Benetti team as my wife, Jeanette, and I were extremely pleased with [the 200-foot Benetti] Diamonds are Forever,” Staluppi stated in a press release. “The new venture will be of a much higher standard with new, modern-day, high-tech systems, and once again working with Frank and Bas Mulder. With the combination of expertise between Benetti, Mulder and our design team, we believe this will be our greatest project.”
Our favorite Staluppi yacht so far: Diamonds are Forever was pretty darn sweet, with a jaw-dropping interior décor.
Our other favorite Staluppi yacht so far: Octopussy broke the 50-knot barrier about two decades ago, well before other go-fast luxury yachts even tried.
Stay tuned for more information: details are at www.benettiyachts.it
